


Lemon Scented

by jishcreator



Category: Numb3rs
Genre: Brothers, Cute, Drabble, Eppescest, Eppeslove, Fluff, Incest, Love, M/M, Sibling Incest, Sibling Love, Sweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-08
Updated: 2015-03-08
Packaged: 2018-03-16 21:43:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 554
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3503843
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jishcreator/pseuds/jishcreator





	Lemon Scented

Don walked into the office and saw him there, Charlie, his brother, his Charlie, frantically going at a clear board with his favorite yellow marker, lemon. He watched him while everyone scrambled about, paperwork, files, new information, new person, new day, as always. And Charlie was helping in any way he could, as always. 

Don didn't know how long it had been, how many glances he caught between giving orders and working. It always amazed him that thousands of things could be spinning around Charlie without even the slightest turn of his head all day, just board and marker or board and chalk and typing, typing, typing, writing, learning, teaching, and more chalk and more marker. But before he knew it, all lingering workers and lingering team members had bid their goodbyes and the office was dark, but Charlie was still going, only stopping for the occasional bathroom or sustenance break, only ended by a flurry back to his board as if his thoughts, or his spot in the room or maybe even his spot in Don's world, their world, might be taken from him. 

It was just him and Charlie now, and despite what Don thought, Charlie was very aware of his presence behind him. Don just sat in awe, not understanding but somehow thriving on Charlie's work and dedication, on the relentless smudging of marker and the heavy scent of lemon in the room. Charlie paused, only for a moment, just long enough for him to look back at Don before going back to his - now - distracted thoughts.

"You okay, buddy?"

Charlie stopped and without turning Don could see that he was smiling, by the way the back of his bratty curly head moved. Don smiled just from knowing and Charlie nodded.

"Yeah, I'm just - just a little stuck."

Don stood up and the space between them closed just slightly but enough for them both to notice. It felt like the air became denser as he moved closer, the tenseness breaking almost audibly enough to make Charlie jump and shiver when Don spoke.

"You? Stuck?" He rested his hand on Charlie's shoulder, a small gesture, innocent... But not to Charlie, never to him. 

He thought his older brother thought the same: the gentle, reassuring or comforting pat was innocent to Don. It wasn't, it never had been. In Don's own, uncommunicative way it nearly rang out "I need you." or "Please feel the same." or thousands of other untranslatable pleas and utterances of affection. 

Charlie simply nodded once more and Don yawned quietly.

"Well you have been going at it for awhile - all day to be exact." He said with a laugh and gave, much to Charlie's surprise, a quick hug with one arm around his chest and shoulder and before Charlie could absorb whatever it was that just happened, Don was out the door with a sweet smile and an "I'll be right back with coffee." And maybe it was his eyes bleary from bright yellow scrambled lines all day but he swore Don's cheeks were hued a light pink.

Soon Don was behind him, sipping his coffee and watching in silence once more, letting Charlie slip back into his own world, with just a hint of his as well, claimed by sitting much closer this time, knowing somehow, Charlie knew.


End file.
